Olympic Legend Debbie Meyer on Katie Ledecky’s Quest to Join Her Exclusive Freestyle Club

by Michelle R. Martinelli | Aug 15, 2016 | Topics

As Katie Ledecky swims her way into the Olympic history books at the Rio Games, the 19-year-old American is on the verge of joining a very exclusive club: women who have swept the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyle events. Olympian Debbie Meyer is the only other...

For women playing baseball, acceptance grows as they attack ‘cultural myth’

by Michelle R. Martinelli | Aug 11, 2016 | Sports

Every time Kelsie Whitmore takes the next step toward a career in baseball — feeling uncomfortable, nervous or scared — she asks herself, “Do I really want this?” The 18-year-old outfielder/pitcher was always the only girl on her Little League, all-star and high...

Rio Bound: Swimming records and tennis shockers

by Michelle R. Martinelli | Aug 8, 2016 | Sports, Topics

WASHINGTON — In the second episode of the Olympics podcast, Michelle Martinelli and Aishwarya Kumar discuss the biggest surprises, the best events and what to look forward to in tennis and...

It’s 2016, and the Olympics still won’t let women swim the 1,500-meter freestyle

by Michelle R. Martinelli | Aug 8, 2016 | Sports

The most accurate way to describe Katie Ledecky is unstoppable. The American distance swimmer and Rio Olympics favorite doesn’t just beat her opponents by a couple hundredths of a second or an extra half stroke. Her winning margin in races is often measured in...

Social media is part of the game for Olympic athletes

by Michelle R. Martinelli | Aug 8, 2016 | Science + Technology, Sports, Topics

Olympic athletes are unique in their own right, but there’s one area where they are just like us: Social media. Especially since many are Millennials — the average age of Team USA athletes is 27 — they frequently post training updates, interact with fans and share...